Open AccessPractical management for urgent reversal of oral anticoagulation in patients with acute intracerebral haemorrhage
Author(s) -
Davide Imberti
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
reviews in health care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2038-6702
pISSN - 2038-6699
DOI - 10.7175/rhc.v2i1s.34
Subject(s) - medicine , fresh frozen plasma , prothrombin complex concentrate , neurosurgery , vitamin k , surgery , intracranial haemorrhage , coagulation , oral anticoagulant , anesthesia , intensive care medicine , warfarin , platelet , atrial fibrillation
In case of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) during oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) it is mandatory to obtain the fast and complete normalisation of haemostasis, in order to minimise the risk of haematoma enlargement. Furthermore, if neurosurgery is requested, the immediate correction of haemostatic balance allows the execution of emergency intervention, thus reducing the risk of intra- and post-surgical haemorrhagic complications. Currently prothrombin complex concentrate (PCC) in combination with vitamin K represents the gold standard treatment for patients with ICH during OAT. This treatment should be preferred to the administration of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) in order to guarantee a fast and almost immediate normalisation of blood coagulation.